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Thought for the Day: Havdalah Declaration Before First Supplication After Shabbos

I do not learn gemara via the daf yomi schedule. The reason is simple, I cannot learn an entire daf of gemara in one day. I am currently learning Bava Metzia and worked out my learning rate: a bit less than a daf per week. I have resigned myself to that fact. There certainly is an energy to a daily learning program.  How about mishna yomi?  Sigh... I am also just a bit slow for that, as well.  One last chance: halacha yomi! Do be fair, I am also not able to keep up with that program, either. However, I am able to keep up with daily emails that summarize the daily halacha; whew!  (I recommend that avail yourself of the program: Daf Halacha | Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Resources.  You can sign up for the daily emails here.)

They also send out a question of the month.  Interesting questions one can use to check and deepen his understanding. Here is the question from the Teves-Shevat bulletin:
The Mishna Berurah (294:§2) writes that the reason Havdalah is recited in the blessing of Knowledge (‘Chonen HaDa'as’) is because it is the first blessing in which we make requests and it is forbidden to recite supplications prior to Havdalah. Seemingly, Havdalah is required to permit making requests. This seems to contradict what the Mishnah Berurah writes (268:§2) that saying the weekday shemoneh esrei should have been mandatory even on Shabbos, but in honor of Shabbos, the Sages did not obligate that such long prayers be recited. It seems that reciting the supplications of shemoneh esrei would not be in violation of the prohibition to make requests on Shabbos, and would even be mandatory if not for a special dispensation to abbreviate Shabbos prayers. How can this be resolved?
I thought I could give a reasonable answer to that question, so I sent in a response. Why am I telling you this?  Because they liked my answer and plan to incorporate it into the next DAF HAYOMI B’HALACHA
MONTHLY BULLETIN (issue #49) בעזרת השם!  So you'll get the see the answer here first, and you'll know its correct because it has the imprimatur of the Dirshu Daf Hayomi B'Halacha organization! 

Without further ado, let's get to my answer. We begin with the Mishna Brura 268:2: saying the weekday shemoneh esrei should have been mandatory even on Shabbos, but Chazal did not obligate us in lengthy prayers.  Now, the rule is: once something in shemoneh esrei is not required, it is automatically forbidden.  Why? Because its insertion would be an interruption.  For example, if one forgets to say ya'aleh v'ya'vo at ma'ariv of Rosh Chodesh, then he is not required to to back; and, inf fact, is therefore not permitted to go back.  Similarly for al ha'nisim on Chanuka and Purim.

That, of course, is l'chatchila.  After the fact, however, once one has started the bracha, he may then finish it. Why? Because at this point to not finish would surely be an interruption.  By finishing the bracha, he at least accomplishes a non-required activity, which is permitted after the fact.  Another example is forgetting v'sein tal u'matar, but remembering the omission  before finishing the bracha but after saying HaShem's name.  (I know... sounds pretty unlikely; you'd be surprised how often that's exactly when a person remembers!) In that case one may finish with "lamdeini chukecha", thus saying a pasuk. Of course, saying random verse from Tanach in the middle of shemoneh esrei is forbidden l'chatchila. However, after the fact it is permitted to save one from the issur of sheim l'vatla or repeating shmone esrei completely.

Since saying a weekday shemoneh esrei on Shabbos is only permitted after the fact, havdala should l'chatchila, therefore, be placed in the first bracha -- whose declaration takes us out of Shabbos (regarding doing melacha) -- therefore permitting the rest of the brachos of the weekday shemoneh esrei to be said l'chatchila.

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